The White House has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff as key players in the second Trump administration, working to pursue an end to the war in Ukraine. Rubio is a former senator and presidential candidate, serving as national security adviser and the second person in U.S. history to hold that dual-hatted role. Witkoff, a businessman and personal friend of Trump, has been dispatched early on as the point person in talks to free hostages held by Hamas, craft a ceasefire acceptable to Israel, and meet face-to-face with Putin. He is the only one of Trump’s special envoys to receive a swearing-in ceremony at the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critics of Trump, Rubio, and Witkoff have emerged throughout the second Trump administration, with Democrats expressing regret about voting to confirm Rubio as secretary of State. Some former government officials have questioned Witkoff’s lack of expertise, and many Trump critics have suggested he is getting played by Putin, who wants to drag out the war in Ukraine. White House officials and allies noted that policy ultimately flows from Trump down, and the president has empowered Rubio and Witkoff as leading emissaries to try to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio, the more traditional figure of the two, has proved his value and loyalty to the president and has been among the most reliable messengers when it comes to communicating Trump’s foreign policy. He has been in touch with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and is the point person working with European allies to propose security guarantees for Ukraine as part of negotiations to end the war and deter future Russian aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n